(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image formation apparatus, and particularly to improvement of auto clear processing performed by such an apparatus during a job pause.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Image formation apparatuses that have functions of a copier, a printer, a facsimile and so on are called “MFPs (Multifunction Peripherals)”. MFPs are installed in offices and convenience stores for example, and shared among many users. There are many methods to bill usage fees of MFPs. For example, cash, prepaid cards, billing server registration, and MFP registration are used for the billing.
In the case of cash, a vendor (a cash payment machine) is set up besides the MFP, and users directly put cash into the machine. In the case of prepaid cards, a card reader is set up beside the MFP, and users pay the usage fee with money deposited in a prepaid card. In the case of the billing server registration, billing management for users registered in advance with a billing server connected to the MFP via a network is conducted on the billing server. In the case of the MFP registration, billing management for users registered in advance with the MFP is conducted by the MFP. In particular, the MFP registration is used for giving unlimited usage permission to the users registered with the MFP.
MFPs have a function to automatically discard jobs that have been interrupted for a prescribed period due to, for example, shortage of money required for printout, a paper feed error, an error in any of various devices included in the MFP, and a stop button pressed by the user. This function is called “auto clear”, and the prescribed period before the auto clear is called “auto clear time”. After a job is discarded by the auto clear, the user has to have the MFP read the document again to restart the job.
Patent Document 1 discloses a technique to enable an MFP to restart a job before discarding it when the user put an additional fee within the auto clear time.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication NO. 2004-101765